1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a paper feed apparatus for printer means and more particularly to a paper feed apparatus with sensing means for detecting curled paper ends.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typewriters or business machines such as, for example, teleprinters employ a single-ply or multi-ply continuous rollpaper as the recording medium. The end of the roll of this continuous rollpaper differs depending on the paper manufacturer. Some multi-ply paper presents a large curvature at the end of the roll, thus requiring a powerful line feed motor in order to pull the curved ends through the paper guidance channel in the paper feed apparatus. Pronounced folds at the end of the roll can thereby lead to the blockage of the line feed drive. Folds occuring at the end of the roll lead to information losses due to blockages of the line feed drive.
In order to smooth out large curvatures of the end of the roll, it would therefore be necessary to have very strong line feed motors that are unwieldly in terms of their dimensions or, very expensive.
When the paper supply is monitored in a known manner according to presently available sensors, the paper feed must be interrupted when the end of the paper to be imprinted is still situated at a great distance from the entrance of the paper guidance channel in order to avoid malfunctions. This results in a high paper consumption.